Southern Star
by The Jaide Ninja Spork
Summary: Edward’s life spins off in a completely different direction during his "rebel years". Will fate still bring him to Bella, or is he destined to live without her forever? Delightfully dark Edward. ExB - looking for a beta-reader.
1. Chapter 1: Temple of Blood

**Disclaimer: See Universal Disclaimer on profile**

**Oh, and read down the bottom. If there aren't reviews this story may be deleted.**

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"Damn you," I cried, straining against the cold fetters that bound me.

Erebus, my superior and mentor, looked on as I went through my hell. Deep gashes rent my bare chest from where I had torn at my skin, delusional and frenzied. The pain offered no distraction as I struggled to reach the temple that housed the hot, sweet meal that waited for me, kicking and screaming, making the syrupy liquid that would sustain me swirl and flow in her veins, rising to the top of the skin. Her heartbeat stuttered wildly, threatening to give out at any moment.

Erebus tutted, disappointed. "Control, Edward. Control is the key to survival, to supremacy. All that land, all those humans out there for us. Together, we can forge a unified community and revolutionise the world! But if you slip up, even once, the Volturi will descend upon us like vultures."

I shivered instinctively at the dreaded name. The Volturi, the ancients who all feared. And Erebus was right – there was every chance that he would be discovered and killed. Even in the throes of bloodlust, I did not want to die, a blight on the face of the world. Before that final moment, I wanted to see apologise to my maker. Erebus was not the one who saved my life and snatched me from the gates of Death. But if the one who had could know, could see the suffering and murder I had caused....

Erebus' eyes shone with the gleam of a fanatic. His irises were a dull crimson, and the colour reminded me of blood. I couldn't think of anything but the blood, the pounding blood that was so loud, throbbing in my brain. How I longed for just a little sip, the death, the vibrant life transferring into my body.

The woman – in her early twenties – writhed desperately. Erebus had garbed her in a silken white shift and bound her with his snowy hands. The pale blonde of her hair cascaded down in rivulets, flung into disarray by her struggles. The vivid green of her eyes stood out in her ghostly face. They darted all around, but she was blinded by terror. Terror that I was causing her. I was hurting her, but I couldn't stop.

The back of my throat burned like an arid plain, and I strained for the precious ruby-red oasis, but it lay just out of reach. Desperate, I tried to bite at the chains yet again, but they were still too far away for my seeking teeth. I tried to gnaw my restrained arms off – they could be reattached later – but the long fingers around my neck bit cruelly into the flesh of my throat, preventing me from reaching my limbs.

I attempted to break my bonds, but even the blood madness didn't lend me strength enough to shatter the restraints my master bound me with. The indefatigable hands that held me maintained their grip, the pressure increasing when I struggled, digging deep into my hands, legs, and neck.

Howling, red pulsating against my vision, I cursed Erebus. I had been like this, restrained and starving, for days, while he flaunted a new young victim before me every night. Gender didn't matter. Before each new sunrise he drained each in front of me. Each one was innocent, that forbidden fruit which I had never fed off, but I no longer cared. I couldn't care any longer; I was past the point where such things mattered to me.

The moment that thought arose in me, I mentally flinched away from myself. I remembered the faint memory of the kind eyes of my maker, as bright and golden as his heart was. I recalled the ghostly murmur of his gentle hands touching my skin, so much colder and paler than mine, yet able to express so much warmth. I recalled his adamant revulsion to feeding off humans, his explanation why in the hours that I was a newborn, as filled with bloodlust. I reminisced about him when he was pointing out the little details that made humans so charming, so unique, willing me to see what he saw.

And I did see, eventually.

And yet, like the fool I was, I had rebelled and ran away from his gentle and understanding tutoring. And I had fallen into the dark, deep trap that my life was now in. How I loathed myself. I had so many deaths etched into the face of my damned soul.

_Flashback_

_A man, tall and slender, dug his hands deep into a black coat, leaning lightly against a damp brick wall. The upturned collar hid his lower face, the rest being obscured by the deep shadow that fell from his hat. His face was downturned, blank and expressionless as he stared at the ground._

_A slight sliver of light fell into his eyes when he upturned his face for a moment, looking to the heavens above. His eyes could be slightly seen in the bare second they were unveiled, shining unnaturally out of the shadows. They seemed to have a faint glow to them, a feral red sheen that seemed out of place on the man's angelic face._

_A passerby shuddered lightly, unconsciously, as he hurried by. Even in the dark, perhaps especially in the dark, where the passerby knew the devil reigned, the man seemed to elude an aura of unwelcome, perhaps even menace._

_The man's coat was finely cut, his outfit stylish and trendy, if somewhat outdated. Still, the passerby knew this was yet another sign of the devil, for temptation and greed were Satan's delights._

_The passerby self-consciously smoothed down his own dark attire, slightly ragged with frayed hems that dragged along the ground. His heart started to beat a bit faster as he approached the figure leaning against the wall, his face becoming slightly pale with what might have been foreboding. He toyed nervously with the piece of paper in his hands._

_The man grinned, the smile unnoticed, covered by his collar. Glancing up, the faint moonlight, diluted by the omnipresent lights of the city, fell on his face. The spectacular beauty of the man's features drew the man closer, despite his fear. The man's face was structured like an archangel, high and regal. A straight, aristocratic nose was perfectly in proportion with his other features. _

_The deep red eyes were slightly angular, beautiful, but in a wicked way. Their colour was darkened, until a hoop of ruby was squashed between the pitch centre and black ring around the iris. Faultless lips curved up in a hint of a cold, predatory smile that didn't warm his dispassionate face. His white skin glittered slightly where the light struck it._

_A deep craving awoke in the passerby, drawing him closer to the man. He walked towards the man, in a trance-like state._

_The man's glowing crimson eyes twinkled as the passerby crossed the street. He tipped his hat in a mockery of a polite, gentlemanly greeting, revealing a shock of glossy bronze hair. He spread his arms wide, in a gesture that could have meant many things, including 'welcome, my brother, to Hell,' before taking the passerby into his deadly embrace. Sharp teeth grazed the passerby's neck, not breaking the skin._

"_Who's been a naughty little boy, hmmm?"_

_His voice was hypnotic, smooth and silky, rolling into the passerby's ears like honey. The passerby finally realised what words the man had spoken and, breaking through his daze, he started to thrash and struggle to be free. The man's grip held him, however. It was impossible to escape. The man trailed soft kisses slowly down his neck, leaving behind a faint shimmer of iridescent liquid. Pausing just below the jugular, the man felt the passerby shiver as his cold lips hesitated._

_Then sharp, shocking, luscious pain sunk into the passerby, shooting out and wrapping around his torso. He stilled as it spread from his neck, all through his bloodstream. Then, a strange pulling extended through him, tugging on his veins and arteries. The pain intensified, and the passerby became aware of his shrieks, muffled against the man's shirt. His body began to spasm, and he dropped the paper that he had held in his hand._

_As he lost blood and strength, silent screams turned into soft whimpers, and thrashing limbs slowed into gentle shudders. The pain faded; or rather he faded from the pain, drifting off into the dreamlike state between awareness and unconsciousness. Softly, he was lowered onto the ground. He saw the man, blood around his mouth, staining his grinning teeth. My blood, he realised with what was left of his sanity._

"_Father, you have sinned."_

_The passerby found that he couldn't move his body, couldn't speak, couldn't beg for mercy. Crying in his mind, he threaded an invisible rosary, begging for forgiveness, trying to atone for his sins. The man knelt slowly, picking the passerby up again and drawing him into a tight embrace. The passerby's vision blackened, red splotches exploding inside his eyes before he passed out, barely aware of the enormous pressure compressing his body._

_Edward dumped the hideously crushed and mutilated body outside the city, wiping his mouth free of blood. His coat was ruined, but the dark stains where stray droplets of blood had soaked in wouldn't show on the black material in the dim light of the night-time city. He examined the piece of paper that the man had been holding. It was a receipt for a plane ticket. Edward dropped it, thinking. He might just buy his own plane ticket. Getting out of Chicago might be a good idea. He had come back to the place of his birth, death, and re-birth, drawn by the past. But he wanted to forget the past now, and get away from the ghosts inside his head: the ghosts of those he had killed._

_He pretended that he didn't feel an ounce of pity for the humans whose life he had taken. The slight twinge in his heart that reminded him that he was monster for killing at all flickered and was crushed ruthlessly. He must view it as saving others lives, or else he'd go insane. It was marvellous and also sickening, how in their last few moments all the humans whom he had feed on prayed to the god that they had forgotten in daily life. _

_Or, he thought, looking nonchalantly at the body of the dead pastor, disregarded. The corrupt preacher's thoughts had leapt out at him as he went about his nightly prowl, looking for a feed. The atrocity of lecturing people on sinful behaviour, then going out to deliberately commit a crime was, to him, almost worse than the felony itself. He himself was religious, even though he knew that he was damned by his very existence, by what he was._

_So, he concluded, the pastor had been perfect prey, immoral, and unrepentant until his life began to fade. He doubted that many would miss the pastor. He had had no family and no friends. His little flock might worry for a bit, then they would go to someone else to tell them that Jesus suffered so that they had the chance to sin. Ah, that reprehensive act – the murder of an innocent, taking the place of the guilty._

_They would forget the pastor nearly as quickly as they forgot the preaching. Humans always did. Sinning and disappearances were part of everyday life in a large city. _

_Life moved on._

_End flashback_

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**NS-SS: This fanfic is being handed over to a lovely friend of mine, Jaide. She is the one who changed this, and she is working on the next chapter. If you want to read what is going on and why this is happening, you can check out the update posted in **_Queen of Night_**, which also contains a piece of my work that Jaide has tweaked.**

**The existing chapters will be altered and lengthened, hopefully, then updates will happen. Keep your eyes out!**

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**Jaide: So, there are a few reviews. Dunno why there is only a couple of them. It makes me sad, because I actually like writing this piece, and I sure as hell enjoyed reading it. Although, it seems that very few of you actually like reading it.**

**So if it doesn't get more reviews and attention, I may be forced to abandon it, which I think would be a shame. I have **_Queen of Night_** to overhaul and edit, which is going to take a while to do.**

**But it is you, the reader, whose opinions really matter. So if you want more, please show your support and review, alright? It only takes a moment, and you can say something completely random. I just want a sign of whether this is a complete waste of time, so that I will dedicate spare time to QN or divide time between **SS **and **QN**. I'd personally prefer to write them both. And this is the end of a ridiculously long rant.**


	2. Chapter 2: Caged Beast

**Disclaimer: See Universal Disclaimer on profile  
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Erebus was becoming impatient. I could see it in the way he held himself; I could hear it when he lectured me. After draining the girl, he threw her body at me, hard, keeping his eyes locked on mine. I staggered back at the impact, and would have fallen down if it wasn't for the hands that held me upright. I looked down at the white body impassively. Her sweat-soaked, long blonde curls couldn't hide all of her face, frozen in an expression of terror. One green eye stared up at me, spotted with red from burst blood vessels. I didn't try to reach the body to see if there was any leftover blood. We had been through these dawn rituals enough for me to know otherwise.

"Edward, you're of no use if you blindly attack every human in sight. You're not a newborn anymore." Frustration coloured his normally calm voice. "If you don't learn how to control yourself, you'll force me to do something that you won't like very much. I won't use my power on you, but I have other alternatives."

With that, he stalked out of my cell, running a hand through his shock of white hair. The hands that were my chains released me, throwing me down on the ground. Before I could get up, the guards were out of my prison, the door firmly locked. Erebus' gift was a useful one, but limited. He could take away peoples free will, but only for a limited time. He needed his Hounds –constantly replaced newborn vampires with flaming red eyes– to be by his side constantly, so he could lay their bonds on thick.

Flexing my freed hands, I brushed the curls away from the girl's face. Now that I could look at her properly, I could see that she was younger than I had thought. Still a teenager, the flush of youth blooming into its first flower. The white garment she wore was hitched up from her struggles, and I smoothed it down for her. I ran my hand over her hair, neatening it so that it hung calmly over her shoulders. Her red-spotted eyes still stared at me. Gently, I slowly closed the lids to hide that terrified stare.

Someone so young and with so much potential, dead because of my lack of control. If I were able to keep my bloodlust in check she would still be alive. She would have had a life, known love, had a husband, a baby to adore, if it weren't for me.

Disgusted at myself, full of rage and anger, I jumped to my feet. Snarling, I battered at the door. So many dead, because of me. So many people left behind to grieve, not knowing the true horrific fate of their loved one, because of _me_.

Even if I had been at full strength, I wouldn't have been able to break out. I didn't know what the hard white walls of my cell were made out of, but I had some suspicions.

Giving up, I grabbed the tiny metal flask that was always left behind when he left. In it would be the barest drop of blood. It would be cold and congealed, hardly drinkable, but it was enough to sustain my sanity. Holding it in one hand, I crawled to the middle of the room, preparing to wait through the long hours of monotony that daytime meant. Opening the flask, I held it upside-down over my tongue. With a shriek of hopeless rage, I threw it against one of the walls, shattering the empty bottle.

There was nothing in it; nothing at all.

My skin tingled as it healed itself from my enraged tearing during the night. I concentrated on the sensation. I would be in tiptop condition for tonight's torment. This _waiting_ was a form of torture itself. The knowledge of what was surely to come plagued my mind. There was nothing in the white room to kill myself with. I sat, counting down the long hours in my head.

When midnight came but Erebus didn't, I knew that I was even more of a prisoner.

I began my count anew. Time blurred, and if not for the count, I'd not know how long I'd been kept here, in this windowless cell. Wars could be raging outside, humans screaming. The world could be burning down, and I wouldn't know. At regular intervals, the door was cracked open the barest inch, and an eye would peer through to check on me.

By the end of the day, I knew that I couldn't poison myself with my own venom. Unattached limbs, including my head, would reattach to my body. Ripping my heart out wouldn't do anything – I didn't need it to survive. The wound wouldn't heal, but I didn't bleed. It would just hurt, and Erebus would have someone shove my unbeating heart back into my chest when they checked up on me.

By the second day, I was convinced that they had given up and were going to leave me. I calmly waited until someone was careless enough to crack the door open a fraction too wide. I was a fast runner, but I was tired, weak, and outnumbered. Erebus didn't try to catch me himself, but set his current two Hounds after me. I forced my legs to run faster, always faster, until the dirt beneath my feet shuddered with the impact. I could hear my purser's feet pounding into the ground as they ran after me.

I gave up running and tried to hide, shutting off my erratic breathing. Leaping into a tree, I attempted to hide myself among the dusty leaves. It didn't help that it was daytime and, every time I shifted, dozens of rainbows danced merrily over the ground. The fact that it was also semi-arid land with few hiding places didn't aid me.

The most detrimental thing, however, was that I couldn't hear my opponents minds. It was a neat side-effect of the mind-control.

So when they came up on either side of the tree, not making any sounds to indicate their presence, it was too late to run. They jumped like twin lightning bolts and grabbed me. I tried to fight, but it was impossible to escape the strength of the newborn vampires. Erebus seemed amused by my effort, doomed to failure before it had begun.

Hours passed. I just sat, red pulsating against my vision. I lost track of the count, just waiting for the time to pass with no idea what the day or hour was. No mental strength left to formulate a plan.

After an immeasurably long amount of time the door cracked open yet again. I didn't bother to lift my gaze to the door until the sinful perfume of human flooded the room.

Erebus stepped through. I smelt the lingering fragrance of human on him; his cheeks were flushed and his red eyes were sickeningly bright. The smell flowed around the room strongly, more beautiful than I'd ever realised before. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or whatever could be said in my case. If I could have wept, I would have.

Erebus smiled fondly at me, hands concealed in his cloak. He looked for all the world like a kindly monk, but his devilish eyes and unnaturally white face revealed the farce. His intentions were unknown to me, and he repeated a Latin mantra in his head.

"How are you, Edward?" he asked. "I am truly sorry for the extreme measures we had to take, but it's all for your own good. Do you want to suddenly lose control one day? Have your bloodlust overpower you in a crowded square? Kill wildly, indiscriminately, without any modicum of control?" Erebus' voice was soothing, cajoling as he voiced my own dark fears. I shook off the subtle but strong influence to forgive and forget: Erebus was a talented orator who swayed minds easily, even without using his gift. He noted my resistance.

"I have a gift for you, Edward. I know depriving you wasn't the best way to train you. Could you find it within yourself to maybe forgive me?" He removed a bundle from his cloak, what he had held in his hands the whole time.

The aroma in the room intensified a hundredfold. I involuntarily leant forward in a predatory crouch. The cruel light in Erebus' eyes flickered, triumphant, and I restrained myself. He strode forward, placing the child in my frozen arms, and quickly retreated out of my cell.

"I won't give in," I ground out, my teeth clenched. "Damn you, _I won't give in!_"

"Enjoy, my son. I'll have someone bring you a bottle, so the little one won't get thirsty. We wouldn't want that, would we, Edward? Keep her safe for me, will you?" His hateful parting words echoed off the walls of my prison as the door slowly closed. I didn't try to escape, for even move, for the eyes of the little baby girl lying in my arms had captivated me. Even the thought of my thirst was forgotten.

Soft brown wisps of hair framing them, her large eyes were a deep chocolate, set in a heart-shaped face, completely innocent and full of trust. Trusting me, a monster who could kill her with a mere finger – how misplaced this naïve conviction was. Then the odour hit me like wrecking ball, and the fight began.

I struggled, an invisible but titanic battle of thirst against willpower. Aware of how tense my body was, I shut off my breathing, forcing back the desire to taste the blood that must be so many times more delicious. Oh, but how I longed. I sat, unmoving, unaware of how much time had passed as I fought back the monster inside of me. If my throat had ever been dry before, I didn't know how it could compare to this. The pain of the three-day change into a vampire: I'd take that gladly, with a smile on my face.

The child rested in my stiff arms, looking up at me solemnly even as I clenched my fists, holding back the furious red tide. She freed one arm from the blanket she was wrapped in, reaching up towards my bent face. She tugged one lock of bronze, and the tiny hand slipped off and fell back down, hitting her in the nose. She didn't cry, instead smiling up at me, wrinkling the skin around those bottomless eyes. But how exquisitely horrible, the way her smell filled up the tiny room! It was so tempting, so delightful.

My eyes drunk in the details of her face. I didn't dare feel the delicate curve of her cheek, wanting to see if it were as soft as it looked, or if it were as hard as the nearly transparent pale ivory it resembled. I wanted to trace the blue trajectories of her veins, feel that lifeblood pulsing slightly under that flimsy skin. Her sleepy eyes locked onto mine. I forced myself to look away, fearing that I would lose control.

I found myself wanting to prove this baby that I was better than that, that I _could_ be trusted, that _I_ _could_ keep her safe, from myself and from Erebus' plots.

And so, I pushed the bloodlust to the back of my mind, locking the beast up. I knew that it wouldn't stay caged forever, the venomous burning in the back of my throat confirmed that, but right now that didn't matter.

I was almost afraid to touch her, in case I clumsily broke her. I seemed impossible that such a tiny, beautiful person could exist, and that her life rested in my hands, both too weak and much too strong.

I was glad of the scraps of cloth that remained of my shirt as I rewrapped her, insulating her warm body further. I was careful not to touch her and leach the heat from her body. The cold didn't seem to bother her; she fell asleep with a satisfied sigh. If I wanted to kill her, now would be the best time. She wouldn't be afraid; she would just slip into death easily, no desperate struggle for life... I was thirsty, unbelievably so, and this little girl smelt so good, the actual blood running through her must taste so much better.

I shoved the murderous thoughts back in my mind. I didn't need to drink to live. And if I drank from this innocent, would I be able to live with myself? That, of course, was what Erebus was aiming for. Once I had killed a total innocent, how could I go back to my old life? I would be forced to stay with Erebus, further damned. No kindness should be lavished upon me, no forgiveness. I would walk the path that punished me the most. And, furthermore, if I just tasted this girl's blood, would I ever be able to throw off the dark addiction of human blood? Or would I never want to taste human again, merely dealing death to vampires in bitter mockery of revenge for what I had done, hoping that one day I too would be killed?

I sat there, gently swaying back and forth. She chuckled lightly, the carefree laugh of a baby who believed that everyone was good and loving, and evil was a myth. Rocking her, she fell into the unknown realms of sleep, nestling further into the blankets. I smiled tenderly and realised, with some shock, that I couldn't read this baby's mind and find out what she was dreaming of; it would be cheerful indeed to make her give voice to such a happy sound in such an awful place.

How long would I be able to hold out and resist the temptation of that delicately translucent, faintly pulsing neck?

And what would I be driven to do if Erebus came to take her away from me, back into the twisting hallways that held her death, and worse?

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**Jaide – Second chapter, tick! Decided to repost both of these in one whammy!**

**Read, review, _please._ Those of you who have written know the elated feeling when you get a review, and the crushing feeling when you don't. Those who haven't posted will have to imagine. It sucks, and you think that no one can be bothered because it is absolute crap. Not a nice feeling.**

**I'll be working on the third and forth chapters - be patient, because I have a few major assessments due soon and I'm also working on **QN**, okay?**


	3. Chapter 3: Traitor

**Disclaimer – Don't own it, don't really care all that much. **

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True to his word, Erebus sent one of his Hounds by with a bottle of warm baby formula. It was insulated against the icy coldness of vampiric hands by multiple layers of cloth. T he little girl drank eagerly, falling to sleep straight afterwards. I passed the time by looking down at her resting form. Her tiny chest rose and fell steadily as she made indecipherable sounds, eyelids fluttering restlessly, before falling into a deeper slumber.

The time passed slowly as I watched the peacefully resting baby. The quiet beating of her heart vibrated in her chest as a burst of warm colour flushed her cheeks. I still held my breath, though the delicious scent tickled my nose.

Sometime later, the heavy door burst open and slammed loudly against the wall, eliciting a surprised wail from the now awake infant. Erebus stood in his fighting clothes, eyes darting around the room wildly. His thoughts were blocked, but I could sense that he was in turmoil as dark images flashed across the surface of his mind.

"Get up, Edward. Now!" he roared. I didn't move, instead hugging the infant closer to my chest protectively.

"What's happening?" I asked, uneasy at Erebus' expression and obvious distress.

"Move, Edward! We don't have time to waste! Get up, _now_."

"Tell me what's happening," I insisted, a apprehensive shiver running down my spine.

"The Volturi are coming, you fool," Erebus bawled. I jumped to my feet at the dreaded name.

A wave of loyalty towards Erebus struck me, despite the mistreatment I had suffered at his hands. "Erebus, what about you? I won't–"

"Damn it, don't argue and don't try to be a bloody hero! Get the hell out of here while you can." His eyes, although still wild, softened slightly. "Even though we've been together only a short time, you're my legacy now, Edward," he cut me off, speaking softly now. "Escape, for when the Volturi arrive, no one will be safe. Take the baby if you want," he said, catching my glance at the child, "just leave here.

"I was a priest when I was young, or what passed as one then. May God bless you, Edward, and swiftly guide your feet to safety." With that, Erebus pressed a flask into my hand. "Blood," he said. "Drink it or not, I'm sure that you'll survive this night." His voice hardened. "I've wasted enough time – convincing you to escape may have cost me my own getaway and life."

I stared after him, speechless, as he turned tail and disappeared.

A piercing scream from outside quickly shook off my reverie. I tucked the flask of blood into the baby girl's blankets and readied myself to breathe in.

The smell hit me like a wrecking ball. Scorching flames burnt my throat and a hot wave of longing sent tingles up and down my body. This little child's blood was more appealing than any other blood in the world. She was desire herself; the forbidden fruit. My whole body tensed and the flow of venom in my mouth increased. I looked down at the tiny temptress as she looked up at me again, trust shining in her eyes, much as it had when I had first seen her.

I couldn't give in.

The next breath was easier, and the next. Still as blazing, still as alluring, but somewhat easier to handle.

I began to run. As I neared the exit, I could hear the screams more clearly. Human, at first, residents of the town falling prey to tonight's hunt of the forsaken. A misbegotten symphony of harsh metallic shrieks of vampire flesh being torn apart soon started up, accompanied by the roaring crackle of flames.

Dull red light danced over the buildings as the fires spread, set alight by the invaders. The flames burned a myriad of colours, the garish combinations shot through with the toxic purple smoke that billowed out into the night sky. Already the dead were being burned as they were cut down by their vicious vampiric opponents. It was impossible to tell whether they were friend or foe, or whether the numbers were slipping to favour either side.

The child in my arms hiccupped softly, looking around with wide eyes. I carefully nestled her against my chest, hiding the horrors that killed in the dark from her innocent liquid-brown eyes.

A shimmering haze trickled over the ground, warping the crimson light that flickered through it. A small, blurred figure stood between me and the mist. This, I knew, was Alec, cutting off people's senses. And if Alec was here, then so was his twin sister, Jane. The two main offensive fighters were never together when they fought – they took opposite sides, so those who tried to outrun Alec would fall straight into Jane's arms, or vice versa.

I had no choice – I'd have to risk Jane. There was no escaping Alec's gift. Already it had covered more than half the ground between us. I turned and fled in the opposite direction, darting into streets and alleys, trying to lose any pursuers. One vampire in a cloak, face hidden in shadow, darted out in front of me. I noted with relief that it was much too big to be Jane, who was smaller than her twin.

The unknown foe tried a feint at my right side. H is mind was practically screaming his intention, however, and I managed to dodge out of the way. I efficiently took my attacker down with a hard stomp to his instep and a kick in the kidneys. I had no free hands to tear off his head, but I was confident that I could kill him anyway.

"Edward," he gasped out. "Is that you? It's Erebus." Sure enough, when the hook of the cloak was pulled back, it was Erebus' face looking out at me. "Why haven't you gone?"

"I'm trying to leave, but Alec and Jane are here." I breathed in again. It was much easier to resist when the child's scent was diluted by the cool night breeze.

Erebus snarled. "Damn it. We don't have any shields here, either. I don't know why the Volturi came here, or who tipped them off to our planned operation. Maybe...."

"Who, Erebus?" I asked quickly. "What operation? You never told me anything, just kept me ignorant and caged like a beast!" I exclaimed, frustration overcoming me.

"It's too late to worry about that now. There's no time to waste if Alec is here. You must go, now. Don't back yourself into a corner. I'll find some way to contact you if I live, but don't expect anything. There's little hope. If the child survives, take her back to her family. She lives a few towns over, in Castleton. Leave her with the police or somewhere she'll be found.

"I just want you to know one thing, so that you may not hate me in the dark years to come: my cruelty was to help you survive, Edward." Erebus peered into the sky, the silver stars obscured by smoke. "Here we must part, forever, I fear, my son." With that, Erebus vanished again.

Scarlet light flickered nearby and a nearby howl rent the night.

"Let's go, little one," I whispered to the child. Before I had gone a hundred yards in the twisting streets, however, a small figure stepped out in front of me. Although cloaked similarly to Erebus, the hood was down and a face clearly visible. An angelic face peered out at me, crimson eyes cold.

"Hello, Edward," Jane said. "My master had heard about you, and he'd like to meet you. I'm not allowed to kill you, but...." She smiled, pointing at my head. I dropped to my knees as a terrible pain threatened to tear me apart. Terrible pains shot through my muscles, forcing them into spasms as they tried to alleviate the throbbing.

With a massive force of will, I kept my arms from crushing the child in my arms. She wailed as I moaned, trying not to give any satisfaction to the cruel Jane. Just as quickly as the pain had struck, it dissipated. "Or," she said, stepping forward and gesturing at the little girl in my arms. A gleeful smile lit up her face, bringing a further savage beauty to her wintry features. I didn't need to read her mind to work out what she meant. She frowned slightly, and then her face became blank and her mind unreadable.

"Back off," I snarled. "If you touch her, no pain will stop me from tearing you apart, limb from limb." And it was true, I realised. This little girl in my arms had captured my heart with her trust where none was deserved. Jane smiled again.

"Why don't we find out?" One long finger pointed at the little bundle, but I turned and took the mental blow full-on. I buckled, kneeling in the mud. My body was in worse agony than before, but I still shielded the now howling child with my body. "Will you come without arguing or fighting?"

"If you promise not to hurt her, then I'll do anything," I ground out through the pain.

"Wonderful. It is agreed then: you won't struggle and I won't harm the human."

"Swear that you won't."

Jane rolled her eyes and sighed, but complied with my demand. "Fine, I swear not to hurt the human if you don't struggle. Happy?"

"Moderately so," I replied. The pain lessened as I rose to my feet.

"No, Edward," she chuckled heartlessly, sending another jolt through me as I stepped forward. "I'll carry the human until my master tells me otherwise."

And, although it hurt my heart more than any physical blow could, I handed over the baby. She immediately began to squirm and squall. Jane quickly tossed her back to me, teeth clenched. I stifled a laugh as the infant immediately quietened down and snuggled into my hard chest, still shaking slightly.

"I can still get to the human," she hissed. "And it'll be easy to break through that fragile skin and rip out that nice, warm, beating heart, even with a vampire protecting it."

I ignored Jane, instead concentrating on calming the little girl down. The blanket wrapped around her had slipped during the exchange and I busied myself fixing it. More shrieks and hollers of triumph echoed through the night, the eerie silence in between growing longer and the conflicts grew further and further apart. It wasn't hard to guess which side was losing.

We were doomed, and I couldn't do anything about it.

We finally reached the town square. Three aristocratic figures, two dark-haired and one with a shock of white, stood separated from the rest. These, I guessed, were the ancient members that made up the innermost circle of the Volturi Coven. Their guard was gathered in a circle, and a ragged group of five were gathered in the middle. Erebus wasn't among them.

A gap appeared and I was pushed into the circle by Jane, who then peeled off to join Alec. From a quick glance around, I recognised the vampires with me. I had memorised all of the leaders and gifted members of our allies and enemies, just as I had memorised the various Volturi Guard. All of the other five survivors were all gifted, save one.

Two of the Guard strode in and picked up the ungifted vampire, throwing him in the mud at one of the black-haired Volturi's feet. Aro looked down at the pathetically grovelling vampire, open disdain in his bleak red eyes.

"Hello, Erik," he said, pleasant tone contrasting with his expression. Erik was never liked. He was a sneaky, insignificant little person who scuttled around with a self-important sneer on his face. I was surprised to find that he hadn't been killed yet; he was an awful warrior, one who would have probably been culled by one of us soon, if the Volturi hadn't stormed in.

Erik clutched at the bottom of Aro's robes. Revulsion flickered over Aro's face and Erik squealed in pain like a stuck pig. "Thank you, Jane," Aro said politely, inclining his head at the smugly smiling girl. "Now, Erik, I think that it would be wise if you quickly left the midst of these friends you betrayed. It may not be prudent to stay, lest they–"

The rest of Aro's words were lost in the furious, blood-curdling baying for blood that was immediately struck up. Several of the Volturi Guard spat on Erik, disgusted. Traitors were despised by all in the vampire world, not only by those who were betrayed. Vampires had to trust in each other to protect the great secret of our existence. The Volturi's main job was to remove any threats that may alert humans to our existence. Once a traitor, always a traitor. We couldn't afford to risk even the slightest oversight. Plus, betraying those closest to you, forfeiting all their lives in the hope of preserving yours showed how low the traitor was.

Erik's face turned whiter, if possible. "But, you promised I–." His stammering plea was drowned out as three of us who had survived grabbed his legs and dragged him into the middle of the circle. The Guard looked on, wolfish grins on their faces as they witnessed Erik being torn apart. Only their discipline and the consequences of disobeying their orders to maintain the circle keep them from joining in.

Another vampire and I watched on contemptuously. She was a small doll-like thing, as small as Jane, but with coppery hair and more delicate features. Her name was Anarae, I recalled, and she could detect lies. She knew that the accusations were true but didn't join the brawl. The frenzied vampires were injuring each other as well as the traitor, but all that was ignored in the heat of the moment. Erik's execution didn't take long. I checked the child in my arms, making sure her ears were blocked and that her face was averted.

Aro stepped forward, hands raised majestically. "Please, stop, if you will," he called to Erik's executors. The snarling vampires ignored him, intent on ripping Erik's body apart. Aro slowly nodded to his Guard, lowering his arms. Several vampires stepped forward to subdue the three, but fuelled by anger and hate, they abandoned Erik's body and instead turned onto the Guard. The trio were quickly torn apart and thrown into the burning houses, along with Erik's thoroughly dismembered body.

"Now," Aro said, "I would like to have this over and done with." He gestured at Anarae and me, making it clear that he wanted us to touch his hands. Aro's power was well known. While I could read what people thought during the moment, Aro could read your whole mind – any thought you'd ever had, from infancy to the present. Your whole being was laid out for him, but he had one limitation: unlike me, he needed physical contact.

He smiled kindly at Anarae and me. His skin had an odd texture to it, more like shale than the average granite. It looked like a single touch could smash it into a million pieces. But no matter how kindly his smile, or how he looked, he held the power of life and death in those ancient hands.

And, his coldly twinkling eyes said, it wouldn't do to forget it.

Anarae stepped forward but I remained where I was, cradling the little baby close to my chest. The white-haired figure next to Aro stepped closer and touched his hand. Aro nodded after a second, smiling whimsically, and then lifted his other hand a little bit higher, gesturing for Anarae to take it. She gently touched his palm, her tiny hand too small to grasp properly. A moment after, Aro smiled sadly and looked at one of the larger guards, Felix. Felix stepped forward and decapitated Anarae with a shining black knife before she could move. He then lobbed her head into one of the fires.

"Edward," Aro called. I warily stepped back. "How about we make a deal with you? Marcus here has told us that you do not wish to see the child harmed. If you are properly repentant of your crimes, and decide to join us, we would allow you to return the child to her parents."

"And if I don't?"

Aro's avuncular grin twisted. "Jane here seems to have taken a fancy to the little one, and it is hard to contain one so dearly beloved to me." Aro smiled fondly at Jane. "Edward?" I turned to look at the burning buildings, thick dark smoke billowing into the night sky. I glanced down at the infant whose life mattered onto my decision. There was really no choice.

"Fine," I said curtly, "if you promise to leave her to grow up without interference. She's too young to remember any of this and she deserves to have a life without anyone, or anything, haunting her."

"Wonderful. It is an agreement then," Aro said delightedly, raising his hand for me to take. I stepped forward and took his hand in my own. A very odd non-sensation, like cobwebs brushing over my mind, swept through me. It was over in less than a second, but I shivered a bit as I stepped back.

"You're duly remorseful for your crimes, and are granted absolution. You may join the Volturi Guard if you so wish, for you will be a worthy addition to our ranks," Aro intoned. He smiled down into my eyes. "Do you accept?"

"Sure," I said bitterly. "Will one of new _family_ join me while I return this child to her parents?"

"I will," Alec said. "There will be no safety risk if I am there." Aro shook his head at Alec.

"No, Alec, for I know how it chafes you to be apart from your beloved Jane. No, I shall go with you, Edward. I'm quite sure that Marcus and Caius will be fine taking command for a short while."

I bowed my head. "I'm honoured," I said dryly. "We have but a few hours of night left, so we should hurry."

It didn't take very long to locate Castleton, where the child came from. As we entered the town, I let my mind run over the thoughts of the occupants. One human's dreaming-thoughts leapt out at me in particular. I'd found the mother. Aro and I snuck silently to the small house. I quietly entered and snuck into the nursery while Aro waited outside.

"So," I told the sleepy baby, "it is time for you to go home." I placed her softly in her wooden cradle. She murmured delicately as I let her go. I used my fingernails to slice off a lock of my bronze hair, placing it inside the girl's tiny fist. "Goodbye, little one." I slipped out of the window, taking one last glance at the child and a final breath of that intoxicating aroma before shutting the windowpane gently, so that the infant wouldn't catch a cold.

I dropped to the ground quietly, coming face-to-face with Aro.

"All this for a child who you don't know the name of?" Aro questioned. I grunted, not in a mood to answer civilly. Slowly we headed away from the house, walking towards the next sixteen years of my miserable existence.

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**NS-SS: So that's chapter three fixed up! Jaide will we working with me on this, so we're writing this together. She convinced me that the story wouldn't be the same.**

**Jaide: Yep, and people who review get a shout-out in the chapter! And a preview of the next chapter. And a lock of Edward's hair.**

**Plus, if you review we can check out your own stories and comment on them! We've had story alerts and favourites, but not many reviews. Reviews inspire writing.**

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